;r
r
i '
arm, on which it is ufnal to wear the
iliield. By the word ripa is under-
flood a falcon, for a Skald has the
permiifion o f putting one genus for
another. The bridge o f the falcon is
the hand, on which the falconer places
him, and its end or toiig (tongue) is
the finger. The gaping round beaten
fnake means a r in g ; and confequently
this long ftory means no more than,
I put a ring on my finger.
Fourthly, to make themfelves ftili
more unintelligible, when too words had
the fame found, the Skalds were allowed
the liberty o f putting the peri-
phrafis o f the one for the other : for
example, the word /jo/iignifies a horfe’s
hoof or foot ; but the fame word likewife
means decency, moderation, un-
derltanding ; and to exprefs this the
horfe’s hoof was frequently made ufe
of. But the principal difficulty in the
explanation o f this antient poetry proceeds
from the extreme incorredlnefs
o f the manufcripts of our Sagas, particularly
o f the poetry, which cannot
be read correflly without great attention.
Thefe are the caufes why the
greater,
greater part o f the verfes in their Sagas,
publiflied either in Iceland itfelf or in
Sweden, cannot be underftood ; only
very few are capable of comprehending
them ; that it is however poffible,
is proved by the new editions of Krift-
nis Saga, Landnamabok, and feveral
others. The provoft Gunnar Paulfen,
in Iceland, is particularly diftinguiihed
for his great knowledge in this branch
of literature. ,
The difficulties we meet with in af-
certaining the true fenfe o f thefe antient
poems, is likewife the caufe o f
the contempt with which we confider
thefe few remains o f the genius of the
antients. I will readily acknowledge
they have no poem that can be pro-
pofed as a pattern of wit and elegance;
yet it cannot be denied, but that very
fublime thoughts and expreffions, and
fometimes very beautiful comparifons,
are to be met with in them ; and it is
impoffible to read the dying Lod-
brok’s Blarkamal, Eigils, Hofud,
Laufn, and Ejvindrs Haconarma,
without pleafure, befides feveral
others.
They
Y